Vandergrift man accused of having sex with teen

A 37-year Vandergrift man is accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl.

Herbert Norris Covey IV is in the Westmoreland County jail awaiting a preliminary hearing.

Allegheny Township police were tipped to the case by Kiski Area School District officials after the girl confided the information to a district principal.

The assaults allegedly happened in Covey's Emerson Street residence.

According to a police report, the girl said she had sex with Covey in August and September. On at least one of those occasions, the girl told police, Covey provided her and others in the residence with alcohol.

Covey is charged with two counts of statutory sexual assault, two counts of corruptions of minors and furnishing liquor to a minor.

Covey is being held in lieu of $50,000 cash bond pending a Jan. 12 preliminary hearing before District Judge Cheryl Peck Yakopec.

Covery was convicted in 2012 of operating a meth lab in Parks Townshipn and sentenced to two to eight years in prison. A detainer has also been filed by parole and probation so he would stay in jail even if posts bond.

Chuck Biedka is a staff writer for the Tribune-Review. He can be reached at 724-226-4711 or cbiedka@tribweb.com.